A common waterhemp biotype that was not controlled by triazine or acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides was isolated from a field in Bond County, IL, in the fall of 1996. Greenhouse and laboratory experiments determined resistance to atrazine and three ALS-inhibiting herbicides in this biotype. Based on whole-plant response, the Bond County common waterhemp biotype required over 1,000 times more imazethapyr relative to a susceptible biotype to reduce growth 50%. Cross-resistance to thifensulfuron, a sulfonylurea, and flumetsulam, a triazolopyrimidine sulfonanilide, was also detected. Based on in vivo enzyme assays, ALS in the Bond County common waterhemp biotype was 20-, > 8-, and 68-fold less sensitive than ALS in the susceptible biotype to imazethapyr, thifensulfuron, and flumetsulam, respectively. Whole-plant efficacy trials also indicated that the Bond County common waterhemp biotype required more than 20 kg ha−1of atrazine to inhibit growth 50%. Chlorophyll fluorescence assays revealed that 100 nM atrazine inhibited photosynthesis in the susceptible biotype, whereas 10 M did not affect photosynthesis in the resistant biotype. Regions of the genes encoding ALS and D1 proteins were sequenced to determine the molecular basis for the resistances. Triazine resistance was conferred by a glycine for serine substitution at residue 264 of the D1 protein, while ALS resistance was conferred by a leucine for tryptophan substitution at residue 569 of ALS.

Seeds of yellow foxtail [Setaria lutescens(Weigel) Hubb.], ivyleaf morningglory [Ipomoea hederacea(L.) Jacq.], common cocklebur (Xanthium pensylvanicumWallr.), jimsonweed (Datura stramoniumL.), velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrastiMedic.), and giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifidaL.) were buried in the soil November 20 and 21, 1966 at Urbana, Illinois for noting emergence of seedlings from April 1 through August 18, 1967. Similarly, seeds of yellow foxtail, ivyleaf morningglory, jimsonweed, velvetleaf, giant ragweed, common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifoliaL.), and Pennsylvania smartweed (Polygonum pensylvanicumL.) were buried on October 25, 1968 for emergence observations from April 1 to August 18, 1969. Pennsylvania smartweed, giant ragweed, and common ragweed had large flushes of germination from early April through early May, with no emergence after June 1. Velvetleaf displayed similar early flushes and had additional small flushes of emergence in late May or June. Yellow foxtail seedlings also emerged in April and May in 1969 and in May and June during both years. Common cocklebur seedlings emerged abundantly in April and May but less abundantly in June. Ivyleaf morningglory and jimsonweed displayed flushes of emergence sporadically after May 1. Flushes of emergence for all species which occurred after May 1 were preceded by sufficient rainfall to bring the surface 10 cm of soil to field capacity. Cumulative heat units in the soil above 10 C were not correlated with initiation of emergence for any species. The early emergence was attributed to stimuli from general soil warming while emergence after May 1 was stimulated by favorable soil moisture from rainfall.

A four-year experiment was conducted near Urbana, IL to evaluate the effect of a rye cover crop on weed control, soybean yield and soil moisture. Soybeans were planted into either a rye mulch or corn stubble (with and without spring tillage). Giant foxtail, velvetleaf, smooth pigweed and common lambsquarters control in the rye mulch plots was generally greater than 90% and better than the corn residue treatments five weeks after planting. Weed control was generally better, except for lambsquarters, in the corn residue without spring tillage plots compared to the spring-tilled plots. Herbicides improved weed control in the corn residue plots but not in the no-till rye treatment, due to the excellent control by the rye mulch. Soil water content was lowest during June under the late-killed (killed at planting) rye during dry periods due to water depletion caused by the growing rye. During wet periods the rye mulch resulted in a wetter soil profile compared to the corn residue treatments. Soybean yields were reduced in late-killed rye compared to early-killed rye (killed 2 wk prior to planting) due to soybean stand reductions in the late killed rye. Yields in early-killed rye and spring-tilled treatments were similar to or better than soybeans planted in corn residue without spring tillage.

Light penetration through a Drummer silty clay loam and a Broomfield sand was measured spectrophotometrically and biologically. The spectrophotometric measurements showed that less than 1% of the incident fight penetrated 2.2 millimeters at any wavelength between 350 and 780 nanometers for ped sizes up to 1 milimeter. Biological measurements with lightsensitive lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seeds In soil showed that an exposure to Ught equivalent to about I sunny day induced some germination of seeds which were 2 milmeters below the surface, but did not affect seeds 6 millimeters below the surface.The known light sensitivity of many seeds (11) has led to the hypothesis that light may be important in inducing the germination of weed seeds in cultivated fields. Dormant seeds, brought close to the surface by cultivation, could receive light, either directly during cultivation or later through the soil, and could therefore germinate. Experiments have tended to confirm this hypothesis (3,7,10,12). Still, there has been no attempt to measure light penetration into soil or to find out how near a seed must be to the surface to be affected. Nor has there been an attempt to consider the role of temperature in such germination, even though light sensitivity of seeds is known to be highly dependent on temperature (1-3, 6, 10, 11). We therefore measured light penetration through soil spectrophotometrically and also biologically, controlling temperature, and using light-sensitive lettuce seeds buried in the soil as our bioindicator. At temperatures below about 20 C, Grand Rapids lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seeds do not require light treatment for germination, and will germinate when allowed to imbibe water. At higher imbibition temperatures, some of the seeds will germinate without light, but others need a light treatment for germination. At field sand. The Drummer soil, when dry, is dark gray with a Munsell color notation of 5YR 4/1, and when moist is black (5YR 2.5/1). The two Drummer ped sizes, 0.42 to 0.50 mm and 0.84 to I mm, were separated by sifting. This soil maintains the integrity of its aggregates well through wetting and drying cycles. Dry Broomfield sand is yellowish brown (IOYR 5/4), and the moist sand is dark yellowish brown (IOYR 3/4). The sand grain size range was 0.3 to 0.5 mm.To determine light transmittance spectrophotometrically, we used a Beckman DK-2A spectroreflectometer, with soil samples in acrylic plastic cuvettes.To determine light transmittance through soils biologically, we placed light-sensitive lettuce seeds at various depths in the soils, then exposed the soils to light. Subsequent germination of the seeds indicated light penetration into the soil.In the preliminary experiment to determine the exact characteristics of our seeds and to establish the optimum temperature, time, and light regimes, we cultured seeds in Petri dishes, which were kept dark at the desired inbibition and incubation temperature for the desired time, then exposed to light and again placed in the dark at a desired tem...

Yellow and purple nutsedges (Cyperus esculentusL. # CYPES andC. rotundusL. # CYPRO) are herbaceous perennial weeds that are among the worst pests known. Holm et al. list purple nutsedge as the world's worst weed and yellow nutsedge as the sixteenth worst weed. Both weeds infest crop production areas in tropical and temperate climates, causing large losses in crop yields. While both species proliferate in the warm regions of the world, yellow nutsedge inhabits a wider range than purple nutsedge in the temperate areas, primarily because yellow nutsedge can tolerate colder temperatures. With such an extended range of habitation, many ecotypic variations of these species would be expected since they likely have adjusted to a multitude of local environments.